Guiding device for guiding shell casings ejected by the recoil of a gun



March 8, 1966 A. G. CARLSSON 3,238,844

GUIDING DEVICE FOR GUIDING SHELL CASINGS EJECTED BY THE RECOIL OF A GUNFiled Nov. 17, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 k A k A k v \I v V INVENTO AKENTausmv CIRLSSO/V BYMaMJ/MW AT Toe/v57:

March 8, 1966 A. G. CARLSSON 3,238,844

GUIDING DEVICE FOR GUIDING SHELL CASINGS EJEGI'ED BY THE RECOIL OF A GUNFiled Nov. 17, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet z m Q R R,

G J o 9 N i w \l INVENTOR. ARE/v7 ausm CARL sso/v A-r-raavrr:

March 8, 1966 A. G. CARLSSON 3,233,844

GUIDING DEVICE FOR GUIDING SHELL CASINGS EJECTED BY THE RECOIL OF A GUNFiled Nov. 17, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

ARE/V7 G(/S7;4V MRLSSOA/ ATTORNEY:

United States Patent Ofifice 3,238,844 Patented Mar. 8, 1966' 3,238,844GUIDING DEVICE FOR GUIDING SHELL CASINGS EJECTED BY THE RECOIL OF A GUNArent Gustav Carlsson, Karlskoga, Sweden, assignor to AktiebolagetBofors, Bofors, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed Nov. 17, 1964,Ser. No. 411,742 Claims priority, application Sweden, Nov. 21, 1963,12,873/ 63 4 Claims. (Cl. 89-45) The invention relates to a device forguiding empty shell casings ejected by the recoil action of an automaticgun, in particular of a mobile gun, the barrel of which is pivotal in avertical plane by means of an elevational system.

When firing mobile automatic guns, empty casings ejected backwardly ofthe gun barrel by the recoil action tend to accumulate rapidly on theground behind the gun, thereby interfering with the gun componentsextending rearwardly of the gun barrel, such as the gun-loadingmechanism and the magazine for rounds of ammunition during the operationof the elevational system, of which said components constitute part, andalso inconveniencing the gun crew.

The present invention relates to a device, a general object of which isto eliminate or at least to reduce the difficulties caused by emptycasings accumulating on the ground in the immediate vicinity of the gunat a location where they may obstruct movements of rearwardly extendinggun parts during laying and loading. To attain this object the inventionprovides a device for changing the direction of movement of the casingsas ejected rearwardly of the gun barrel in such a way that the emptycasings do not fall upon the ground in the immediate vicinity behind thegun barrel when the barrel is elevated for firing, and thus below thegun magazine and other gunvcomponents extending behind the barrel, butare guided past such components so as to fall upon the ground atasufficient distance behind the gun.

Thus, according to the invention, a mobile automatic gun of the kinddescribed is provided with a guiding device for empty shell casingswhich comprises a guide means attached to and carried by a gun componentwhich constitutes part of the elevational system of the gun. This guidemeans has a curved, upwardly facing concave guide surface extendingsubstantially in the direction of the gun barrel. The forward end of theguide means, in the position of the device as used for guiding casingsrearwardly ejected from the gun barrel during recoil, is located belowand in front of an imaginary extension rearwardly of the barrel axis andthus below and in front of a casing ejected from the barrel. The rearend of said guide means, at a portion of said guiding surface locatedrearwardly of an imaginary extension backwards of the axis of the barrelbore, extends obliquely rearwards and upwards from said axis.

The guiding device has a width suitable for safely catching the ejectedcasings and a satisfactory length for guiding the ejected casingsrearwardly past the magazine of the gun. The portion of the guidingdevice which prevents falling of the casings below the gun magazine, maycomprise a plate structure constituting a rearwardly and upwardly curvedguide surface, which may have the shape of a bent plate or a curvedtrough, or may comprise curved rods which in conjunction define acorresponding guide surface, said rods as seen in a projection in thehorizontal plane, extending parallel to the barrel direction.

To avoid operational impediments that may be caused due to the guidingdevice protruding far below the components of the gun during transportof the gun, the guiding device for the casings is pivotally secured tothe elevational system by means of joints, about which the guidingdevice can be articulated in a longitudinal vertical plane of the gunbetween an active position in which the forward end of the guidingdevice occupies the position in which it is located below and in frontof an imaginary extension rearwardly of the gun bore, and a transportposition in which the guiding device is swung upwards towards themagazine so as to be closely located underneath or behind the magazine.For this purpose, the guide means of the guiding device is fastened toone end of suspension rods arranged on either side of the guide meansand of the path of the casings ejected rearwardly from the barrel by therecoil, the joints for swinging the guiding device being arranged at theother end of said rods and fastened to a part of the elevational systemabove said imaginary extension of the barrel.

Preferably, the suspension rods also constitute an array of rodscomprising pivots on each rod at the end thereof adjacent the guidingmeans and also at the end thereof adjacent the elevational system, saidpivots being pivotal in a plane extending through said rods. As aresult, the guiding means is suspended so as to yield to lateral forcesexerted thereupon to which forces the device may be exposed byencountering external obstacles during a change of direction of thecarriage supporting the gun.

The invention will be further illustrated by the following descriptionof a preferred embodiment thereof as shown in the accompanying drawings,in which:

FIG. 1 is a fractional side view of a mobile automatic gun comprising aguiding device according to the inventon;

FIG. 2 shows, more in detail, the same guiding device in transportionposition; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the guiding means for the shell casingsin the active position thereof.

FIG. 1 shows parts of the mounting 1 of a gun, said mounting beingsupported by a carriage comprising track chains 2 and chain wheels 3.The mounting is pivotal in a horizontal plane about a vertical pivot 7and supports the gun barrel 4 and further components pivotal in avertical plane together with the barrel about a horizontal pivot 5.These components are parts of the elevational system of the gun whichalso includes the loading means of the gun, not illustrated, arrangedfor cooperation with a magazine 6 for rounds of ammunition locatedbehind the barrel and constituting part of the elevational system. Theelevational system is illustrated in FIG. 1 at substantially maximalelevational angle for the gun during firing.

The guiding device according to the invention for guiding ejected shellcasings, which will be described more in detail, is secured to andsuspended from the magazine 6 rearwardly of the barrel and below themagazine. In the exemplified embodiment the guiding device comprises aguide means in the form of a guide plate 8 having a guide surface facingupwardly and concavely curved in reference to the magazine. The forwardend of this guide plate 8 is, when the case guiding device is positionedfor guiding ejected casings, located below and in front of the path of acasing ejected backwards in the direction of the axis of the barrel, theimaginary extension rearwardly thereof being indicated at 10. In thisposition the rear end 11 of the guide plate 8 extends obliquelyrearwardly-upwardly from the imaginary extension 10 of the barrel axis.Guide plate 8 is secured to a frame 12, which is suspended from twopivotal support rods 13 and 13, respectively, said rods being arrangedon either side of the guide plate, pivotal in longitudinal verticalplanes of the gun about joints 14 and 14, respectively fastened tomagazine 6. Guide plate 8 and frame 12 are thus pivotal between theactive position of the guiding device illustrated in FIG. 1, in whichthe forward end of the guide plate is located below and in front of theimaginary extension 10 of the barrel, and a transport positionillustrated in FIG. 2, in which the guiding device is swung upwardlytoward the magazine 6. Rods 13, 13' are then located close to themagazine and frame 12 and guide plate 8 are located rearwardly of andclose to the magazine.

The casing guiding device is held in a desired position by a pair ofadjustable support means (only one being shown), each comprising asleeve 15 and 15 respectively and a rod 16 and 16' respectively, therods being lengthwise displaceable and lockable in the sleeves. Each ofthe support means 15, 16 and 15', 16' respectively is pivotally securedat one of its ends to the respective one of the suspension rods 13, 13',respectively, by means of a joint 20 and 20, respectively, and at theother end to a holder 25 and 25', respectively, which is located on apart of the gun mounting by means of a joint 21, 21', respectively. Saidsupport means 15, 16 and 15', 16 are each provided with a ratchet means26, which is preferably automatically released if subjected to undueoverload and which may be manually released when the guiding device isto be brought into the transport position illustrated in FIG. 2.

To arrange the guiding device yieldable in a lateral direction ifsubjected to lateral forces by external bstacles during transport orlaying, each of the suspension rods 13 and 13 is provided with a joint17 and 17', respectively, close to the holder for the rods on frame 12of guide plate 8 and with a joint 18, 18, respectively, at the end of anarm 19 and 19, respectively. The other end of arm 19 and 19 respectivelyis pivotal in a ver tical plane about the above mentioned joints 14 and14', respectively. Said joints 17, 17 and 18, 18' are pivotal aboutpivots perpendicular to a plane through rods 13 and 13', the rods 13 and13' thus together constituting a linkage system by means of which theguiding device may move laterally when exposed to external lateralforces.

An hydraulic shock absorber 22 and 22', respectively, is arrangedbetween magazine 6 and each one of the arms 19, 19' to absorb shockswhen the guiding device drops down into its active position for guidingejected casings upon being released from its transport position belowand behind the magazine.

With the device according to the invention in the position illustratedin FIG. 1 the casings ejected after firing are guided by guide plate 11past the components of gun which protrude backwardly beyond the gunbarrel and fall upon the ground rearwardly of the gun instead ofreaching the ground in the direction of the barrel axis where they mayconstitute an obstacle for said components during elevational movements.

In the embodiment as illustrated, the casing guiding device is, asdescribed above, arranged so as to be swung upwardly during transportinto a position, in which guide plate 8 and frame 12 are located closeto and behind magazine 6. In this position in which the support means 1516 and 15' 16', are correspondingly extended, the guiding device issuspended from the magazine by means of hooks 23 for holding frame 12.The hooks may be manipulated by means of a handle 24,

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to acertain now preferred example and embodiment of the invention, it willbe understood by those skilled in the art, after understanding theinvention, that various changes and modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it isintended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A guiding device for guiding empty shell casings ejected by therecoil of a gun, the barrel of which is arranged in an elevationalsystem pivotally mounted in a vertical plane lengthwise of the gun on agun mounting, and including gun components located above an imaginaryrearward extension of said barrel, said guiding device comprising guidemeans including a guide surface concavely curved in reference to thebarrel, and suspension means for securing said guide means to theelevational system to support the guide means in a position in which thefront end of said concavely curved guide surface is located below saidimaginary extension of the barrel rearwardly of the barrel, the rear endof said guide surface extending obliquely rearwardly-upwardly inreference to an imaginary rearward extension of the barrel axis.

2. A guiding device, according to claim 1, wherein said suspension meanscomprise two mutually parallel suspension rods arranged on either sideof said imaginary extension of the barrel as seen in a projection in ahorizontal plane, first joints pivotal in a plane extending through saidtwo suspension rods and each securing said guide means to one of saidsuspension rods at one end thereof, and second joints also pivotal insaid last mentioned plane for securing each of said suspension rods tothe elevational system at a component thereof located above saidimaginary rearward extension of the barrel.

3. A guiding device according to claim 1, wherein said suspension meanscomprise joints for fastening the guiding device, pivotal in a verticalplane lengthwise of the gun, to the elevational system at a componentthereof located above said imaginary rearward extension, said guidemeans together with the suspension means being movable as a unit aboutsaid joints between an active position for guiding casings ejectedrearward of the gun barrel in which position the front end of the guidemeans is located below said imaginary extension of the barrel, and atransport position in which said suspension means and said guide meansare located close to said components extending rearwardly of the barrelabove said imaginary extension of the barrel.

4. A guiding device according to claim 3, and further comprising atleast one support rod, a first joint pivotally connecting one end ofsaid support rod with said suspension means at a point thereof located adistance from said joints for pivotally fastening said suspension meansto the elevational system, and a second joint for pivotally connectingthe other end of said support rod to said gun mounting.

No references cited.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner. F. C. MATTERN, AssistantExaminer.

1. A GUIDING DEVICE FOR GUIDING EMPTY SHELL CASTINGS EJECTED BY THERECOIL OF A GUN, THE BARREL OF WHICH IS ARRANGED IN AN ELEVATIONALSYSTEM PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN A VERTICAL PLANE LENGTHWISE OF THE GUN ON AGUN MOUNTING, A INCLUDING GUN COMPONENTS LOCATED ABOVE AN IMAGINARYREARWARD EXTENSION OF SAID BARREL, SAID GUIDING DEVICE COMPRISING GUIDEMEANS INCLUDING A GUIDE SURFACE CONCAVELY CURVED IN REFERENCE TO THEBARREL, AND SUSPENSION MEANS FOR SECURING SAID GUIDE MEANS TO THEELEVATIONAL SYSTEM TO SUPPORT THE GUIDE MEANS IN A POSITION IN WHICH THEFRONT END OF SAID CONCAVELY CURVED GUIDE SURFACE IS LOCATED BELOW SAIDIMAGINARY EXTENSION OF THE BARREL REARWARDLY OF THE BARREL, THE REAR ENDOF SAID GUIDE SURFACE EXTENDING OBLIQUELY REARWARDLY-UPWARDLY INREFREENCE OF AN IMAGINARY REARWARD EXTENSION OF THE BARREL AXIS.